Verlander wins 11th as Astros beat Royals 5-2, take 3 of 4

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander got his 11th win, Yordan Alvarez hit his 26th homer and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Thursday.

Jose Altuve added a homer and three RBIs for the Astros, who bounced back after a 7-4 loss Wednesday night that snapped an eight-game winning streak. Houston took three of four from Kansas City.

Verlander (11-3) grinded through six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs — one earned — with eight strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.00 in his remarkable return from Tommy John surgery. He and the Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin (11-0) lead the majors in victories.

Kris Bubic (1-6) yielded four hits and three runs while tying a career high with six walks in 5 1/3 innings for his second straight loss.

PADRES 2, GIANTS 1, 10 INNINGS

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego left fielder Jurickson Profar collapsed as he was trying to walk off the field after a scary collision with rookie shortstop C.J. Abrams a victory over San Francisco.

Profar was eventually strapped onto a stretcher, his neck in a brace, and driven off the field on a cart as his teammates watched from a few feet away. Profar pumped his right fist to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd and appeared to be smiling. He was taken to a hospital and no update was immediately available.

The Padres won it in the 10th on pinch-hitter Jorge Alfaro’s bases-loaded single. Kim Ha-seaong started on second as the automatic runner and Austin Nola was intentionally walked. Kim took third on Trent Grisham’s bunt single. Jarlin Garcia didn’t have a play at third and was late throwing to first. Alfaro then stroked a single to center to win it.

Manny Machado homered for the first time in nearly three weeks and ace Joe Musgrove combined with three relievers on a two-hitter.

Nabill Crismatt (5-1) pitched the 10th for the win.

Logan Webb went eight innings, allowing one run and six hits while striking out two and walking one. Garcia (1-3) took the loss.

METS 10, MARLINS 0

NEW YORK (AP) — J.D. Davis hit his first major league grand slam, James McCann had a three-run homer and New York routed Miami behind a strong start from Trevor Williams.

Davis set a career high with five RBIs and Williams (2-5) pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as the NL East leaders won easily in the opener of a four-game series.

Starling Marte and Davis each had three of New York’s 12 hits. Davis also scored three times and combined with McCann to give the Mets eight RBIs from the bottom two spots in their batting order.

Davis scored on Brandon Nimmo’s double in the third to put New York in front and delivered an RBI single in the fourth. McCann followed with his second home run of the season, connecting off starter Daniel Castano (1-2) to make it 6-0.

YANKEES 6, RED SOX 5

BOSTON (AP) — Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam, Aaron Hicks homered on the next pitch and New York held on to beat Boston despite a pair of home runs from Red Sox All-Star candidate Rafael Devers

The Yankees staked Gerrit Cole (8-2) to a 5-0 lead in the third. But he gave up Devers’ two-run shot in the bottom half and his three-run shot in the fifth. Cole was charged with five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven. Clay Holmes pitching the ninth for his 16th save.

Red Sox starter Josh Winckowski (3-3) gave up six runs on six hits and five walks in five innings.

CARDINALS 3, BRAVES 2, 11 INNINGS

ATLANTA (AP) — Dylan Carlson hit a tiebreaking single in the top of the 11th inning, and St. Louis snapped a four-game skid with a win over Atlanta.

Nolan Gorman singled to begin the 11th and advance placement runner Nolan Arenado to third. Carlson’s single glanced off the glove of second baseman Phil Gosselin, and the Cardinals led 3-2.

Spencer Strider dominated with a career-high 12 strikeouts in six innings for the Braves. He allowed two hits, no runs and two walks.

Juan Yepez’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th broke a 1-all tie for St. Louis. Matt Olson’s RBI single tied it at 2 in the bottom half.

Michael Harris II hit a tying homer off Giovanny Gallegos in the seventh inning for Atlanta. Albert Pujols delivered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the top of the inning for St. Louis.

Ryan Helsley (5-1) earned the win in 2 1/3 innings. Packy Naughton earned his first save, and Tyler Matzek (0-2) took the loss.

PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Darick Hall homered, doubled and drove in two runs, and Philadelphia took two of three from last-place Washington.

Nick Nelson (3-1) gave up one hit in two scoreless innings in relief of starter Bailey Falter. Seranthony Dominguez worked a perfect ninth for his third save in four chances.

The Phillies went ahead with three runs in the third off Joan Adon (1-12).

Luis García had a pair of doubles and an RBI before leaving the game in the seventh inning with a possible injury, and Juan Soto had two hits and drove in a run for the Nationals.

TIGERS 2, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Beau Brieske tossed two-hit ball into the seventh inning while outpitching Dylan Cease, Javier Báez homered and Detroit hung on beat Chicago, running its winning streak to five games.

Pinch-hitter Spencer Torkelson had an RBI single in the ninth to give Detroit a two-run lead. Chicago made it interesting in the bottom half against closer Gregory Soto, who earned his 17th save in 19 chances.

Tim Anderson singled with one out, AJ Pollock walked and Luis Robert cut it to 2-1 with a double down the right-field line. But with runners on second and third, Soto struck out José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez.

Brieske (2-6) struck out four and walked one to win for the second time in 14 major league starts.

Cease (7-4) — 10-0 in his first 11 starts against Detroit — went six innings, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out eight and walked three.

REDS 5, PIRATES 1, GAME 2

PIRATES 4, REDS 2, GAME 1

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jonathan India hit a go-ahead single, Brandon Drury added a two-run triple in the nightcap and Cincinnati split a doubleheader with Pittsburgh.

India snapped a 1-1 tie with his two-out single in the seventh inning off Bryse Wilson, which followed an error by second baseman Josh VanMeter that allowed Nick Senzel to reach. Drury followed against reliever Chris Stratton and hit a line drive that eluded right fielder Ben Gamel’s diving effort and rolled to the wall for a triple.

Tommy Pham capped the rally with an RBI single.

Wilson (1-5) allowed four runs — just one earned — on seven hits in a season-high 6 2/3 innings.

Reiver Sanmartin (1-4), Cincinnati’s fourth pitcher, pitched 2 2/3 innings for the win.

Pittsburgh won the opener behind rookie starter Roansy Contreras, who allowed one run in six innings.

Michael Chavis hit a tiebreaking two-run double and Diego Castillo homered to back Contreras (3-2), who allowed four hits and one run with one walk and seven strikeouts. David Ednar worked the ninth for his 14th save.

Mike Minor (1-6) struck out a season-high eight over 6 1/3 innings on the way to his fourth straight loss. He allowed four runs on five hits with two walks and a hit batter.

ORIOLES 4, ANGELS 1

BALTIMORE (AP) — Rookie Adley Rutschman hit his first home run at Camden Yards and Baltimore extended its winning streak to a season-best five games.

Jordan Lyles (5-7) pitched into the seventh inning, allowing one run and five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Jorge López worked the ninth for his 15th save in 19 opportunities.

Rutschman hit a solo shot off fellow rookie Chase Silseth (1-3). Ryan Mountcastle had a run-scoring double in the third inning and added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Trey Mancini also had a run-scoring single.

Kurt Suzuki had a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the Angels, who fell to 1-5 on their nine-game trip.

DODGERS 5, CUBS 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Gonsolin pitched seven strong innings for his 11th win, and Mookie Betts hit a pair of leadoff homers as Los Angeles beat Chicago and extended its win streak to four games.

Gonsolin is the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 11-0 since Alex Wood in 2017. He and Houston’s Justin Verlander are tied for most wins in the majors.

Gonsolin allowed two runs and four hits, struck out three and didn’t walk anyone for his second straight start and third time this season.

Betts blasted solo shots leading off the first and the eighth for his 19th and 20th homers. He got hit by a pitch in the fifth and had his left hand examined but stayed in the game. Justin Turner also went deep.

Chicago starter Mark Leiter Jr. (2-3) gave up four runs and five hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked none.

ROCKIES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

PHOENIX (AP) — Randal Grichuk doubled to score Jose Iglesias with the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, and Colorado defeated Arizona.

Iglesias led off the ninth inning with a sharp single to left against Mark Melancon (3-7). Grichuk’s drive into the gap was missed by diving center fielder Alek Thomas. Iglesias just beat the throw home with a headfirst slide. The Diamondbacks lost in the ninth inning for the second straight day after being tied after eight innings.

Carlos Estevez (2-4) pitched a scoreless eighth for Colorado, striking out pinch-hitter Thomas with two out and two on. Daniel Bard pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Carson Kelly drove in all three Arizona runs with a two-run homer in the second inning and a two-out single in the fourth.

MARINERS 8, BLUE JAYS 3

SEATTLE (AP) — Dylan Moore homered — with an assist from left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. — and Marco Gonzales gave up two earned runs and pitched into the seventh inning, leading Seattle over Toronto.

Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suarez also homered and drove in three runs for Seattle. But, Moore’s unusual home run was the highlight.

Moore hit a deep fly to the warning track in the second inning. Gurriel tracked it down, but as he made a running leap on the track, the ball went into his glove and immediately popped out and over the wall.

Santiago Espinal had three hits for the Blue Jays, who have lost six of their last seven games.

Seattle’s offense knocked out Toronto opener Anthony Banda (0-1) after four batters. Banda gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in a third of an inning.

Gonzales (5-9) didn’t need much run support. Gurriel scored on a throwing error in the second inning, and Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had back-to-back run-scoring singles in the fifth.

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